The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-05-25
Thermopyl@ and the Alamo.
DALLAS, May "a, 1887.


Editor Herald.
The question has recently been dis
cussed by number of correspond
ents, generally by way of inquiry,
through the News of this city, as 10
who was the original aIthor of the
now familiar sentence: "Thermopyle
had her messenger of defeat-but the
Alamo had none" The discussion
sprang from the published statement
Of the Rev. II. G. Burleson that Gen.
Edward Burleson was the author,
which statement have never seen. A
Waco correspondent doubling this,
called for information. On the Sth OF
May | replied, expressing the opinion,
but not the fact, that IL was used by
Hon. Guy NJ. Bryan in debate on n
bill for the relief of Miss Dickinson,
the babe of the Alamo, in the lcgis-
Iature of 1872, feeling sure that 1t
was used by some one on that occa-
sion. Ii was clearly shown by others
that il was so used, but by Repre-
sentative Winfield. This was about
January, 1852. But Mr.. Burles on re-
piled, giving Major Bryan as author
ity, based OH the statement of an old
soldier made in after years, for saving
that on the morning of the Sth OF
March. 1886, before Gen. Houston ar
rived to take command of the army at
Gonzales and before the arrival of
Mrs. Dickinson and infant, the Vi
dettes stationed near San Antonio
"came dashing in bearing the appal-
ING news that the Alamo had fallen
and every hero had perished," and
that on that occasion Gen. Burleson
addressed the troops present and used
the expression referred 10. On the
18th | submitted TO the News, in reply
to this statement, substantially these
unquestioned facts:
That Gen. Houston wrote Fannin
on the night of March IL, saying that
he had arrived at p. m, that day, and
taken command; that afterwards
Anscmo Borgarra and another Mex
lean had come in from Arrocha's
ranch and reported the fall of the
Alamo, but that their statement was
doubted, and we can see that if true,
which it proved to be, it was then i'm
possible to know that every man had
fallen. On the contrary the two Mex
leans were held temporarily as prison.
ers, lest they might be spies. This was
three and half days after the time
given in the statement. Then on the
morning Of the 18th, still without
other information, Gen. Houston dis
patched Deaf Smith, Henry w.
Karnes and Robert Il. Handy (all his
toric names) to go as near San Anto-
Mo as they could in search of the
facts and return IN three days.
About twenty miles on the way they
met Mrs. Dickinson and infant, with
the two negro men, Sam, the servant
of Travis, and Ben. the free negro SER
want of the Mexican Almonte. They
fully confirmed the fall of the Alamo
but even they could not know that
every man had fallen-a fact that re-
quired time to determine, rs some
might have escaped.during last night
hence no one could tben appropriately
use the now well known phrase. Capt,
Karnes, leaving the others TO get in
next day, it being then late, fastened
back to Gen. Houston with the inior-
nation, arriving at 8 o'clock at night,
and this was the first news accepted at
Gonzales as reliable, five and halt
days after the time at which it is said
the videtts came dashing i'll and Gen.
Bnrleson made the address. The time
is erroneous beyond question, as is
the source from which the informa-
ton was received 1t was p. m.
when the report was accepted as true
and before midnight Gen. Houston
retreated. AS he and several of the
first orators of Texas were in the
camp and there is no account of
speeches by any of them, IL seems odd,
to say the least. 10 say that Gen. Bur-
Lesson, who, perhaps in his whole life,
had never mace public address,
(ihough he acquired the habit as
congressman afterwards,) should have
made such an one as is attributed to
him on that occasion.
SO far, then, it would appear that
Representative Winfield, III the session
of l'5l-2, probably January '52) was
the first 10 use it but this discussion,
as stated in my unpublished letter to
the News, recalled to my minu fact
clearly establishing the contrary. That
fact is this: Mr.. Nanglc, an artist of
Philadelphia, from stones taken from
the Alamo, sculptured the beautiful
Alamo monument that was burnt
with the capitol some years ago. He
completed il in shop in New Orleans,
boxed it up in sections aud died. 1t
remained there so long that it was
sold for storage and bought by Leach
a. Cavanugh, owners of the shop. In
the spring of 1852, not over two or